


The Shadow in the Woods

by detritvss



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, Exophilia, F/M, Fluff, Monsters, Oral Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Reader-Insert, Size Difference, Size Kink, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:35:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detritvss/pseuds/detritvss
Summary: You had longed to get away from your life in the city for so long. So you left and headed to the woods where you did, indeed, find the wildness you had been searching for your whole life...
Relationships: Monster/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 88





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> I just love monsters and there isn't enough straight up monster lovin going on.

You had just finished moving into a small cottage on the edge of a vast forest. The cottage was old and well loved, the forest ancient, with a long history that not a soul could know. The property around the cottage was full of long grasses and wild flowers, the kind that would attract bees and butterflies all summer. Honestly, wildness had always attracted you, ever since you were a child. You had always loved long walks in the woods, the smell of the rain, the feel of grass beneath your bare skin, the sounds of rushing water. When you had first started searching for a place to live you weren’t sure exactly where to go, all you knew was that you wanted away from the busy city; away from people. You had had many meaningful relationships in your life, you had been in love, even recently, but somehow nothing truly fulfilled you. You always felt like something was missing, that the life you were leading was not enough. Sometimes you feared nothing would ever be enough, you would spend the rest of your life chasing something that did not exist in the world anymore, a quiet, a time long ago, a people long ago – something unobtainable. When you found the listing for the little cottage far away from the world you had lived in for so long, you just knew. It had to be yours and within a few weeks it simply was. 

Your family and best friend had been skeptical, of course they had been. What could you expect? They wanted you near, wanted you to be safe, not hundreds of miles away. What if you got hurt? What if you got lonely? They had often voiced their opinions to you, but you knew it didn’t matter. You were moving and that was final. 

So they all pitched in and helped you pack up and head to your new home. The move was easy, you had always been good at getting rid of things you didn’t need. You liked living minimally; you liked the idea of just being able to move without too much hassle. People kept so much, so many things, so much baggage. You didn’t want to be like them. 

Setting everything up took about a day. Everyone stayed and made a nice dinner together and ate it outside under the setting sun. It was a cool evening in the late spring, you were anxious for the stars to come out. Something about them made you feel at peace. Once everyone had said their heartfelt goodbyes, promising to visit soon, you decided to follow the path that led from your back door to the edge of the forest. The path was of large stones and the way was dotted here and there with clover and dandelions amid the overgrown grass. When you reached the edge, the sun was just a sliver of light, the sky growing increasingly darker as stars began to shine. You stared up at the night sky, it was then that it hit you. 

You were alone.

The noise and bustle that was your everyday life was now gone. Only the noises of night in the forest were heard now. The wind blew and you shivered. “How long have I been standing here?” You wondered to yourself. You moved your attention to the forest. Its great depth felt overwhelming; tree after tree until it all blurred into darkness. You stood there, a little bit longer, looking into the forest, and then headed home.

Getting used to your new life proved to be more difficult than you had expected. Your family came by once in a while to check on you, which was nice. They had asked a few times if you would just come back, but you wanted to stay, this was your home now. Your best friend on the other hand, was more supportive. She knew you needed this, at least for a little while. She planned to come up and stay for a weekend once her busy job settled down. So you spent all of your time alone. You read more, baked, and worked on your writing. It was the most productive you had been in years. You were lonely, although you would never admit it to your family. You were stronger than they thought, at least that’s what you constantly told yourself. You were brave, you could be completely alone and it would not break you. Eventually you started to venture out into the woods. At first, your hikes were short, as you were afraid of getting lost. Being alone does that to you, makes you fear things, every sound, every movement. The woods proved difficult at first, you were more skittish than the deer and chipmunks you came across, who ran out of your way the second you were heard. But, every time you ventured out further, following old paths whose blazes were fading and whose cairns were toppled. Trails that ended in fallen trees or deep caves, or beautiful open fields.

It was summer now, the days were long and hot, and your hikes had changed from hour walks to all day affairs. Today was especially hot, so when you found a shimmering lake you couldn’t resist. You stripped bare, peeling your sweat soaked clothing off and waded into the cool water. You swam around lazily, cooling off, enjoying the bright sun on your bare skin as the water rippled around you. The sound of rushing water off in the distance filled your ears as you relaxed against a boulder basking in the sunlight. As the rays warmed your skin you started to drift off, it had been a long walk, it had been a long week and this was the most serene you had felt in a long time. 

You were suddenly shaken from your rest by noise. A voice perhaps? Maybe it was a noise from a dream made louder by your unconscious state, but it felt so real, so loud. You looked around and saw only the sun shining, the trees rustling in the light breeze, and the water glinting in the lake. As empty and calm as it all looked, you quickly did not feel as if you were alone. You decided to grab your clothing and put it back on, then after taking one more glance around the beautiful cove, you headed home.

When you reached your home it was dusk. You went in and made yourself a light dinner and sat in a chair on the patio facing the woods. You ate and watched and listened. The night sounded as all summer nights in the forest did, bugs chirping, wind in the leaves, the occasional owl. As night fell completely, you found yourself focusing on one part of the forest. There the darkness seemed darker somehow; seemed deeper. After a while you shook your head and decided to go to bed.

The next day brought terrible thunderstorms. The rain poured all day. The trees swayed violently in the winds. Sometimes the thunder was so loud you could hear your dishes rattle in their cupboards. After getting some chores done you grabbed a book and sat next to your favorite window and began to read. A loud crack of thunder shook you from your book and you peered outside. Your eyes immediately focused on the forest. You quickly found an area that somehow, even through the violence of the rain, looked darker than the rest. Was it the same place you had focused on last night? You couldn’t decide. You stared, transfixed by that spot. Lightening flashed and lit up the surrounding forest, but not that darkness. That deep, dark spot stayed, and then out of nowhere it shifted and was gone.

By the time the rains died down it was evening. You sat again on your patio, this time actively searching the tree line. Everything seemed normal, no darkness that stood out from the trees, nothing out of place. The hours ticked past and next thing you knew it was very late. You took one last look out to the forest and saw nothing.

You awoke early the next morning to the chip of birds and sun streaming in through your windows. You made yourself breakfast then packed a small bag for your hike that day. Something was drawing you into the woods, more than usual. It was a deeper need to be where you had been. To swim nude in the glittering lake, to feel the suns’ rays on your skin. 

When you made it to the lake you were hot and a bit light headed. Without a second thought you rid yourself of your clothes and dipped right in. The cool water reinvigorating you as you swam. 

You heard a rustling then. A shifting in the trees. You looked up and saw darkness that hadn’t been there when you had jumped in. You waded there in the water, staring at the darkness. It looked familiar, like you had seen it a million times. But it made a shiver run down your spine. Somehow you knew you were no longer alone. 

“H-hello? Is anyone there?” you weren’t even sure who you were calling to. An animal? A person? Would they even understand your words?

The leaves rustled in response. 

“I’m...I’m sorry if I have disturbed your home. I can go. I didn’t mean to...” your voice trailed off as the darkness shifted. No, no the darkness moved. It moved closer. A direct action. A decision. 

“What are you?” You couldn’t think of what else to say, you were frozen, stuck in place.

“Why are you here?” An overwhelming voice deep and slow crept from the darkness in the trees.

“I was just hiking and I needed to cool off. I will go.” Your heart started racing as you jumped out of the water and grabbed your things.

You heard a response that you couldn’t make out, a deep voice saying words that made no sense. If they had indeed been in your native tongue, the sound of your heart pumping and blood rushing drowned them out. You ran then, naked, through the forest. You didn’t stop until you reached the edge of the trees, where your little cottage sat in the distance. You stopped for a moment, the first time since you had began running. You breathed heavily, winded from the run, your heart still racing. You tried to think back on what had actually happened but it was all a blur.  
When you finally made it home you cleaned yourself off, you were covered in dirt and scratches from the run; badly bruised in some places. When you eventually calmed down you headed outside and stared at the tree line, reflecting on what had actually transpired that day. Were you crazy? Did something in the woods really talk to you? Your mind raced over all of the possibilities. You stood there a while longer looking desperately into the forest hoping for the darkness to appear, hoping to solidify in your mind that it did happen, something did talk to you. When your eye found the darkness you felt compelled to wave and so you did. You had been so scared before but now that you were in the safety of your own home the fear was gone; you wondered why you had a sudden change of heart. Whatever it was had every opportunity to hurt you and it didn’t. You hoped whatever it was out there in the darkness of the woods didn’t think you were rude; you had been swimming in their lake in their forest without even saying hello and had dashed off without even a single wave goodbye.


	2. An Acquaintance with the Desolate

The next morning you woke up earlier than normal. It wasn’t the sun nor the birds that roused you though; it was the dream you had been having. In it you were running, fast and barefoot through the forest. Somehow nimbly missing every root and rock as you sprinted. You were lost though, the surroundings somehow different than any other place in the forest you had been to previously. The bright sun shone through the trees, here and there, but there was a dark haze over the forest. As you ran you felt scared, like someone was following you. But as you moved deeper and deeper the feeling changed. Perhaps it had never been fear in the first place, perhaps the feeling of your heart pounding, the feeling of not being alone, perhaps the feeling you felt was excitement. You were being followed, and it excited you. You eventually reached an old cairn, although this wasn’t like the typical cairn you usually saw, this pile of rocks reached up into the sky; so large it blocked your path completely. You had nowhere else to go. You were stuck. Whatever was following you had you now, no way to escape it. As you stared up at the sky – trying to catch a view of the top of the cairn, you felt it behind you. It did not touch you, you just knew it was there. You turned around quickly, the forest behind was empty.  
“Why are you here?” a deep slow voice emanated from all around you. 

When your eyes opened you knew you had to go back.

You spent your morning doing your daily chores anxiously. Time moved slower than you would have liked, but the garden needed watering and you needed to eat. As you stood there in your garden watering your plants, your mind wandered to the dream. You couldn’t wait any longer. You dropped your watering can and ran inside. You quickly grabbed a basket and filled it with anything you could find in your kitchen. A small basket of strawberries and blackberries, tomatoes, and green beans from your garden. A small jar of homemade jam and a half a loaf of bread you had baked the day prior. You wrapped it all up in a cloth and headed out.

Your walk through the forest was somehow different today. You couldn’t explain it, but everything felt strange. You had walked this path many times since moving here, but now you noticed new rocks, new plants, new blazes. The bugs and birds even sounded different. Farther away, as if the deeper you walked the more alone you truly became. 

When you finally reached the lake you felt relief wash over you. Somehow you felt as though you would never reach this point, as though you would never find your way to the lake and would just wander the same familiar trails for the rest of time.

You looked around, everything looked the same, but an unnerving silence had fallen over the forest. You wondered how far into your walk this had happened; how far in you were when you had been abandoned by all that was living, all that was light and happy. Although dark thoughts wash over you, the sun still shone bright as ever, rays illuminating the water. It seemed as inviting as it had been the last time you had come to the spot.

You took a deep breath in. 

“Uh….hey…” You immidiatly felt foolish. Who were you even talking to, you wondered.

“Listen… I know that last time I was here I kind of swam in this lake and then ran off…” You looked around, hoping you would see nothing, but hoping that if it was there, if you had actually interacted with something, it was listening.

“I brought you some things from my garden. Berries and some bread. I don’t really know if you… eat? Or something? But I will just leave it and uh… go I guess.” You placed the basket on the ground by the lakes edge.

You stood there in silence, both hoping for a reply and hoping for nothing at all. After a few moments you saw trees shift far back in the distance. 

You felt your pulse quicken as the darkness moved towards you and turned to leave. 

“You do not wish to swim today?” The deep slow voice washed over you, the same one from your dream.

You froze. This is why you were here. You were curious to a fault you thought. Perhaps this is where you die. 

“I just... didn’t want to bother you.”

A long silence and then the trees shifted again. 

“You may swim. It is a hot day, I am sure you are weary from the walk.” 

You looked towards the direction of the voice. All you saw again was a deep darkness in the trees. You then slid your clothes from your sweaty form and walked into the cool water. 

“Who are you?” It was a simple question that perhaps didn’t have a simple answer. 

“Who am I? You are new to this place, these woods. I have been here for lifetimes.”

“My name is (y/n). I live in the cottage on the edge of the forest... but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“Of course. I know all that happens here.” The voice was closer now. 

“What is your name?” Your eyes focused on the darkness that seemed to be moving closer.

That’s when you saw it starting to take shape – something very tall and pitch black at the edge of the trees. You jumped, startled. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but this wasn’t it. Its form wavered, the edges seemed to not be solid; some almost blurring into the background. 

You waited there – completely Stunned. You couldn’t find any words at all.

“I have frightened you.” It slowly retreated backward. 

“No! Wait!” You finally broke from the spell.

It continued its retreat.

“I’m going to come back tomorrow!” You called after it as it disappeared.

That night you sat outside watching the tree line for the creature.  
When your eyes finally found its form you waved and smiled. It stood there, as the night darkened it was lost in the trees and you headed to bed.

The next day you woke up to your basket empty at your back door. A smile crossed you face – the creature in the forest had accepted your gift. Perhaps he had even enjoyed it. 

You found yourself rushing to the kitchen. You wrapped up some fruit and muffins you had recently made and placed them gently in the basket. You felt a pull again, to the forest, to the lake, to the creature in the woods.

When you were finally coming up upon the lake, you felt yourself becoming anxious; you were really going back. You were putting yourself in harms way for what? You stood there in the woods just before the clearing. Your mind filled with images of the reason you had ran. The void that had spoken to you, its immense size, the deep darkness that followed you to your home. The fear made your heart race. But perhaps it wasn’t just fear, you couldn’t deny you loneliness, you longing for connection. You wondered if this is what happens to people like you; alone for months, wandering the woods, looking for companionship where they shouldn’t. 

You headed into the clearing.

“I see you liked what I brought you. I’ve got something a bit different this time!” You placed the refilled basket in the same spot as the day before. 

“Ah. You wished to swim again?” Its deep voice was somehow soothing. 

“I came to see you.” It was true, it was hot and after the walk you had just had you wouldn’t mind taking a swim to cool off, but you were here to see it, whatever it was.

“That is a foolish endeavor. You would wish you had never come here if you were to see me.”

“Why?” But you knew exactly why.

“Your kind are frightened of me. They run. They hide. They often fear for their lives.” 

“Should they?” You felt a hint of regret, perhaps you had made a mistake coming here.

“Yes. They are small. They are fragile. They die so easily.” Its voice different from before. It sounded as though it was finding joy in the words it was saying.

“Should... should I run?”

“No human. You do not have to run. I have no desire to hurt you. But you still should not wish to see me.”

“But I do.” Your fear was building. “Please, let me see you. You have accepted my gifts, watched me swim, followed me to my home. Please let me see who you are.”

It sighed a great sigh. You could sense fear from the creature, was it scared of showing itself to you?

“Very well, human.”

The dark form you had focused on so many times, the dark form that watched and followed you, moved out from the trees and into the light. 

You gasped. Your heart skipped a beat, speeding up in your chest.

It was as tall as the trees, slender and lean. Its arms, which seemed too long for it, ended in clawed hands. Its face was almost featureless in the bright sun, but you could make out four black eyes, slightly brighter than its pitch black form. Its mouth, too wide for its face, had rows of sharp teeth, slightly yellowed. It’s form looked unstable, it was there standing in front of you, but it was also loosely fading into the background.

“You may run now.” Its mouth barely moved. It's voice filled with sadness. It seemed odd, it had just boasted about killing humans, but the obvious fear in your eyes had somehow filled it with sorrow.

“I’ve never... seen anything like you before.” You couldn’t think of what else to say. You were terrified. But you didn’t want to run.

“I am the only one like me.” You focused on its teeth as it talked. It’s barely there lips stretching over teeth that could rip a man to shreds.

You felt yourself walk towards the creature without thinking. You needed to get closer to it. See it up close.

As you approached it stepped back.

“How can you be so frightening and yet so scared of me?” You felt a small smile creep across your face. You almost felt sorry for it.

“I just do not wish to for you to run away from me.”

When you reached it, you looked up. It’s form hulking over you. You smiled.

“I am not afraid of an overgrown shadow.” Your eyes ran up and down its form several times.

It leaned its head down towards you. “Perhaps you should be”  
You could feel its hot breath on you. It’s deep voice pronouncing every word excruciatingly slow.

You laughed. Startling yourself.

“I should go home. I am having company this weekend. But maybe I will come back in a few days? I’ll bring you something and I can swim. Maybe you will join me?”

It tilted its head, completely perplexed. “Yes human. I would like that.”


	3. Feelings and Confessions

That weekend your best friend came, it had been almost a month since you had seen her last. The weekend was filled with laughing and dancing and long talks. You had noticed the creature standing at the tree line late the first night. You and your friend had had a few drinks and had been drunkenly staring at the stars and pointing out constellations to each other. When you saw it at the tree line you stopped mid-sentence. You waved and smiled. You wanted it to come over and sit under the stars with you. To tell you more about itself. To be close to you. You shook your head, they were just drunken thoughts. 

The next day your friend left. She planned to come back the following month and you were both excited for it. But you found yourself anxious for her to leave, you had gone almost two full days without seeing the monster, and the deep longing to be in the lake, in its presence was growing stronger by the hour. It was evening as her car pulled away and you rushed inside to grab a coat and headed out your backdoor. As you rushed down the stone path to the trees you heard a familiar voice.

“It is too late for you to come into the woods. Too dark.” The monster was at the edge, watching you.

“I needed to see you again.” 

“Well here I am, human. You have seen me. Now return to your home.”

You strained to look up at his face. You reached out your hand to touch it and he pulled back quickly.

“Please.” Was all you could think to say.

“Go back to your home and rest.” The monster continued to move back into the forest.

You felt your heart sink as it retreated. You weren’t sure exactly what was happening to you. You had only just met it, but the feeling was undeniable, unmistakable. You watched it retreat until there was nothing but darkness and empty trees.

That night you laid awake in bed, unable to sleep. Unable to move your mind away from the creature in the woods. It’s tall form towering over you. Its clawed hands, dangerous and sharp, and what they might feel like against your skin. When you eventually drifted off it was with images of the creature holding you close to it's chest, the ground far below you.

You woke up late the next day, it was almost noon. You got up and stared at yourself in the mirror long and hard. How had it come to this? You knew you had loved the wild, strange things, darkness, night but to want something like this? A monster? A creature that could rip you to shreds at a whim? But the truth was you wanted it. Not only to feel it’s strange form against you, but to hear it’s low voice tell you stories of its life. To explore parts of the forest unknown to you. To swim in its lake as it watched you. You wondered if the feeling was mutual, if he could even feel this way at all, if he would even feel this way for a weak, fragile human.

You grabbed your things and headed out. When you reached the lake all was quiet. You stripped down to your underwear and jumped into the cool water. As you swam you hoped he was watching, you hoped that he would speak to you. After a while of deafening silence you got out of the water and laid on a rock in the sun. As you drifted off you were awoken by his voice.

“Did you enjoy your swim, human?”

“It was lovely, I only wish you would have joined me.” You couldn’t contain your smile. 

“You seemed so calm, I did not wish to interrupt.”

You rolled over on the rock so you could look towards the trees and there he was. Standing at the edge, barely visible.

“So you do like to swim?”

“I do not find myself in the water often these days, but at one time I swam often.”

“Come here.” You shifted over on your rock, hoping he would make his was to you. 

He walked slowly out of the tree line, hesitating. His lean, massive form taking shape in the bright sun of the clearing. 

You smiled at him.

“Human, I do not understand why you do not fear me.”

“Just come here.” You sighed and rested your head on your arms, closing your eyes.

You opened your eyes to find the creature directly in front of you, looking down with tilted head. Examining you.

You patted the rock next to you, it was definitely big enough for him to sit on. He sighed and sat down next to you and looked off into the trees. 

“What are you?” A simple question, but one that had been stuck in your mind since you had first seen him on the edge of the forest.

“I… I am not sure.” His answer seemed genuine. 

You looked up at him, sitting next to you. “Come in the water with me?”

He nodded and with that you jumped in. He moved to sit in the water, only reaching his chest when he sat.

The two of you spent the rest of the afternoon talking and swimming. You often found yourself smiling so hard your face hurt. Your heart raced with excitement every time you felt him brush up against you.

“It’s time for you to head home, human.” The two of you had been sitting on the shore for hours now. The chill of the night was settling in and your hair and clothes were wet. You shivered.

“I guess so.” You didn’t want to leave. You wished you could stay up all night with him. 

“I should like to walk with you, if you don’t mind.”

“Please do.”

With that you both got up and began to walk through the ever darkening forest. When you reached the edge he stopped.

“Goodnight human.”

You quickly turned and placed your hand on his. It was the first time you had laid your hands on him. His was massive compared to yours. You focused on it, its warmth, its smoothness. He hesitated and did not speak. All that could be heard was his soft breathing mixed in with the sounds of the night; wind gently blowing through trees and the bugs chirping away. After a few moments he pulled his hand away.

“I’m coming back tomorrow.” You promised.

The next few weeks played out exactly the same. Every day you woke up early and headed to the lake. The first few times the creature seemed wary of the situation, of your constant visits. But you both quickly grew accustomed to them, to each other. Your fondness for him quickly evolved. What once was a strange crush had moved quickly to something more, more than just butterflies and brief touches. It was a need, a longing, every chance you could you found yourself trying to find ways to feel his skin, to be close to him. He always seemed to hesitate when your fingers gently ran down his hands before pulling away. But you often felt his eyes on you while you swam, while you laid out in the sun. He looked for too long, you often thought to yourself. You wondered what he thought about while he was watching you. Sometimes you imagined he was planning on eating you, waiting for the right time to sink his sharp rows of teeth into your soft flesh. Other times you imagined, and hoped, that he felt like you did. He longed for your touch, your soft flesh on his, your head resting against his chest while you drifted off.

Your feelings grew with every visit. It became almost unbearable to be close to the creature, to hear his voice, to feel his presence. 

“How many people have you killed?” You broke the silence as you two had been sitting, basking in the sun for hours. 

“That is a question you do not truly want the answer to.” You both stared up at the sky.

“How are you so sure?” You needed to know, you needed to know how dangerous he was, if you were in actual danger.

“You would not wish to be my friend if you knew the truth.”

“I would not wish to be friends with someone who lies to me.” You found your words and tone to be harsher than you had meant them to be.

He stayed quiet for a long while.

“I… I have been alive for millennia. I have met all types of creatures. But none have been as vicious as humans. None have done as much damage, killed as many living things. In my time I have taken many human lives, perhaps thousands. I will not say they all deserved it, many did not. But many did. Many searched for me, many sent on missions to kill me. All failed. All met their end. A cruel end. A painful end. I do not regret protecting myself, protecting my home.”

“And the ones who did not deserve it?” You felt yourself slowly inching away from the monster next to you.

“Their only offense was that they were human.” His voice harsher than you had ever heard it.

You stood up. “And me? Will you kill me?”

He continued to stare off into the sky, saying nothing. 

“Have you been planning on killing me this whole time?” Your voice wavered as you tried to fight back tears, tears of despair and tears of fear. You weren’t sure what hurt more; the knowledge of what he had done or the fact that you still wanted to be close to him.

“You should go home. I do not wish to upset you anymore.” He turned to look at you. His four pitch black eyes fixed on you. You saw no emotion in them that moment. Perhaps he did mean to kill you.

“Just tell me. Have you been planning on killing me?”

“Go home, human. I do not wish to harm you.”

You grabbed your things and started walking down the path you had taken many times before. You turned to look at him, his eyes were back to the sky. You quickly headed home. 

You stayed away for weeks. You did not enter the woods and rarely sat on your patio. You read at your window, once in a while you peered into the forest and occasionally you saw him. A deep darkness in the trees, standing still. Was he waiting for the perfect moment to kill you? You often wondered. After a time though, your mind quieted down. You knew what he was, a monster in the woods. A creature that has killed, that would continue to kill. But not you. Not you. You told yourself over and over. He had so many opportunities and he had barely touched you.

Even though you were scared for your life, your feelings never changed. You knew how you felt. How you really felt. Every night you laid awake thinking of him. Every night you dreamed of black claws on flesh, sharp teeth parted slightly with heavy breaths, body cradled in long arms. 

You needed the monster in the woods. 

You couldn’t live without him.

It was fall before you worked up the courage to go back into the forest. You woke up early one morning after a long dream filled night of the monster. After showering you stood there, staring at yourself in the mirror. Wondering if today was the day. The day your yearning for him was too strong, your desire to touch him too much. Was today the day you risked your life to see him. After a long time, you made up your mind. You packed a bag and headed out into the forest. 

As you walked down the path you took in the colors of the leaves, the new sounds of fall, the change in seasons was something you wished you had experienced in the forest with him, not locked up in your cottage. When you reached the lake you inhaled deeply. Breathing in the crisp fall air. You had been away for too long. Perhaps he would resent you for this. Perhaps he would kill you.

“Human.”

You turned around and saw him walking out from the cover of the trees. As towering as he was in your dreams; in your fantasies. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long.” 

“I thought I had frightened you.”

“No.” You looked down at the ground. 

“Why have you returned?” He moved closer to you.

“I- I just...” You couldn’t find the words. You realized how insane you must seem, obsessed with a monster over two times your size? No — in love with a monster. 

“Your heart is beating faster than normal. What is wrong little one?” As it neared you it crouched down. Your faces closer than they had ever been, so close you could make out it’s features, the two slits for a nose, the endless depth of its four eyes. 

You reached your shaking hand out and touched its face. All four of its eyes closed and it leaned into it. 

“Little one.” It whispered. “I have longed for your return.”

Your heart beat faster than you had ever remembered it beating before. You had been in love with many people, felt their touches, longed for them. But this was different. The intimacy of this moment was beyond anything you could ever had dreamed of. This ancient being nuzzling your hand, had yearned for you as you had yearned for it. 

You weren’t sure if you could kiss it. Its lips thin, its mouth unnervingly wide. But you pushed yourself on to the tips of your toes and reached your head up as far as you could, placing your lips against the monsters. He touched your chin with a long clawed finger, pressing it upward. 

You pulled away. 

“What have you done, little human?” It sighed

Your face flushed, feeling ashamed. Maybe you had read the signals wrong? Maybe this was a mistake?

“Leave now, human.” It stood up.

“But...” Your voice trailed off.

“You must go and not return to this place. Find another lake. Find another part of this forest to explore.” The monster turned and walked away.

Your eyes filled with tears as you turned around and walked down the path that you had taken so many times before, heart full of joy and excitement. Now it was ruined. The forest was ruined. Your life here would not be the same.


End file.
